1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to releasable attachment of articles of manufacture to extant means in an environment, and particularly relates to releasably attaching first articles of manufacture to second articles of manufacture.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR .sctn. 1.97-1.99
The fastening of objects one to the other, and the method for accomplishing same, is an area of endeavor of inestimable antiquity. Most efforts in that area have been directed to permanently securing one object to another, or a multitude of articles together. The familiar nail is undoubtedly one of the earliest means developed to effect that purpose. Rivets are another well-known means of permanent fastening.
Fastening objects together in a non-permanent manner has also been an area of much investigation over the millenia. The familiar screw, in certain contexts, is again an early means of effecting such a non-permanent relationship. Non-permanent fastening, however, presents difficulties not demonstrated in permanent securing. Tools are often necessary to effect joinder and undoing of the joinder of the objects--the screwdriver and the wrench are prime examples. The objects to be joined must be invaded by the fastening means, which protrude from the surface of one or both objects. The head of a screw or the bolt and exposed threads of a nut and bolt combination are familiar examples. The non-permanent fastening means also demonstrate a tendency to come unfastened at other than the desired time, particularly if the environment is subjected to vibration and hard use. This has led to the development of additional means to curve that tendency, ranging from thread compounds to lock washers.
Permanent and non-permanent fastening has had long association with another of man's oldest technologies, the domestication and use, for work and pleasure, of animals--particularly, the horse. Various components forming saddles, tack, bridles, stirrups, halters and the like have been permanently fastened together by tying, stitching, and riveting, among other techniques. When non-permanent fastening has been required, rings and ties, or rings and clips, have been employed.
Saddlery used with horses has also been embellished with various ornaments, medallions, emblems, trim and the like, a practice again having roots in the distant past. Such ornaments have ranged from colored ropes to studs to base metal ornaments to chased silver and gemstone stone combinations. The latter are extremely valuable, particularly in view of current market conditions.
Ornaments have heretofore been attached to saddlery by permanent fastening means, such as rivets or split rivets. While these means function adequately, resisting any loosening through use of the article, they prevent the ornament from being removed when desired. Where a chased silver or other precious metal ornament, or a precious metal and gemstone combination ornament, is at issue, their cost often prohibits ornamenting more than one or two items. Thus, a horse's trappings may not include the desired level and style of ornamentation, and the selection of trappings is thus undesirably limited. Having more than one animal with physical configurations prohibiting interchange of saddlery is also a limit to permanently affixed ornaments. Security and protection of valuables is also difficult--the ornament's affixation to the saddlery requires that the entire object be secured to secure the ornament.
Faced with that problem, the art turned to the use of the post and screw, known as the "Chicago post" or the "Chicago screw." That technique afforded non-permanent fastening of articles to saddlery, with removal being effected through use of the common screwdriver. The saddlery is pierced to allow passage of the posts through to the back side of the article, whereupon the screws are inserted into the posts, which are internally drilled and tapped, and tightened.
While the Chicago post or screw system of attachment of an ornament provided non-permanence and hence removability, it still presented serious drawbacks. Properly tightened and secured once, the screws were still slightly susceptible to loosening resulting from jarring and vibration. After repeated tightening and removal, however, the screws were quite likely to come loose during the saddlery's everyday use. This may result in the loss of a very valuable ornament. Furthermore, removal required the use of a screwdriver, and access to the back side of the saddlery (the side nearest the animal). Forget the tool, and removal was impossible. Additionally, if the saddlery is on the horse, it is impossible to remove the ornament. Hence, the problem of security against theft remained unsolved. It was still necessary to secure the entire object, unless the laborious unscrewing and removal of multiple ornaments, with the attendant increase in susceptibility to in-use loss, and the subsequent restoration of the ornaments to the saddlery, was practiced.
Other, non-analogous arts afforded no solution to these problems. See Osteen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,066; Bostian, U.S. Pat. No. 2,514,834; Graff et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,807,100; Colton, U.S. Pat. No. 100,728; and Thornell, European Patent Application No. 78300569.7 (Publication No. 0 001 916).
There existed a definite need in the art, particularly relating to the non-permanent fastening of articles of manufacture to equine saddlery, for novel fastening means. The optimum combination of properties for a releasably attachable article of manufacture and method for releasable attachment would comprise:
(1) An article incorporating releasable attachment means which do not pierce or penetrate the article's outwardmost face;
(2) The releasable attachment means would require no use of tools to attach or remove, simple hand placement and removal being sufficient. Once in place, however, the article would resist any loosening of attachment while in use;
(3) The releasable attachment means would not deteriorate in function through repeated attachment and detachment, such that susceptibility to loss during use would not increase;
(4) The article and releasable attachment means would in combination interact with the means in the environment to which they were secured and that environment itself to enhance fastening and resist loosening during use.
None of the methods and articles for effecting attachment of an article of manufacture to extant means in an environment provide this optimum combination of properties.